‘Middle-aged white woman’ shot dead by ICE agent in Minneapolis ‘after she tried to run
A woman has been shot and killed by ICE in what Homeland Security said was an act of ‘domestic terrorism’ – but local authorities have disputed that version of events with a fiery rebuke.
The white woman, 37, was shot after allegedly trying to ram officers with her car ‘in an attempt to kill them’ during ICE’s operations in Minneapolis, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
DHS said she ‘weaponized her vehicle’ and called her actions an ‘act of domestic terrorism,’ the statement said.
She was rushed to hospital but later died of her injuries. Police found the woman with a gunshot wound to the head, according to local police chief Brian O’Hara.
Senator Tina Smith said the woman was a US citizen. O’Hara said nothing indicated that ‘this woman was the target of a law enforcement investigation.’
The woman has not been identified by officials, but police described her as a middle-aged white woman. Her spouse has arrived at the hospital where she was pronounced dead, the chief said.
At a press conference, Mayor Jacob Frey claimed DHS was trying ‘to spin this as an act of self-defense.’
‘This is bulls**t,’ he said. ‘I have a message for our community, our city, and ICE – to ICE, get the f**k out of Minneapolis.’
The tragedy comes as DHS deployed more than 2,000 ICE officers to Minneapolis as part of their largest operation ‘ever.’
A woman was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer before crashing her car in Minneapolis. The woman’s burgundy SUV was seen with a bullet hole
The woman was rushed to hospital but she succumbed to her injuries. Police were seen taking photos of her car
Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to ‘get the f**k out of Minneapolis’ at a press conference
McLaughlin said the ICE agent escalated the situation because he was ‘fearing for his own life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement, and the safety of the public.’
‘He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,’ she said in a statement, describing the gunshots as ‘defensive shots.’
‘Thankfully, the ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.’
The woman’s burgundy SUV was seen with a bullet hole through the driver’s side windshield, Kare 11 reported. After being shot, the woman crashed into a light pole and damaged two parked cars nearby.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference that officers had been stuck in the snow due to the adverse weather in the city.
‘They were attempting to push out their vehicle when a woman attacked them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle,’ she said.
‘An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him.’
However, O’Hara said the woman was in her vehicle and blocking the road. Then federal law enforcement approached her and the vehicle began to drive off.
Blood was seen splattered on the headrest of the driver’s side
A child’s toy was seen inside the woman’s vehicle at the scene
Pictured: Federal agents at the scene on Wednesday
Secretary Noem said the agents’ vehicle was trapped in the snow and the woman tried to ram into them as they were attempted to push it
Two shots were fired before the vehicle crashed, O’Hara said.
He added that the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were now investigating the incident.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz asked citizens to ‘remain calm’ as he slammed the DHS’s version of events as ‘propaganda.’
‘The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice,’ he wrote on X.
‘Don’t believe this propaganda machine.’
Hundreds of ICE agents were at the corner of 33rd and Portland Avenue today as immigration tensions continue to rise in the Midwestern city.
Law enforcement used tear gas and pepper spray on protesters.
Protesters have been gathering in the area today. Some threw snowballs at ICE officers
Hundreds of ICE agents are near the corner of 33rd and Portland Avenue as immigration tensions continue to rise in the city
Law enforcement deployed tear gas and pepper spray toward protesters
Local police also put up metal barriers to separate protesters from federal agents.
Since deploying officers to the Twin Cities, Noem, said more than 1,000 people have been arrested in the area.
But Mayor Frey said the federal agency was just ‘causing chaos in our city’ and demanded they ‘leave the city immediately.’
‘We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities,’ he wrote on X.
At a press conference on Wednesday, he continued his pro-immigration campaign, saying: ‘This is a moment where all of us in Minneapolis and beyond we can rise to the occasion. We can show them who we are. We are going to meet that hate with love.’
He said his constituents were ‘better than a bunch of ICE agents ripping apart families and communities.’
Frey said he was not informed of the woman’s identity.
Minneapolis has become the Trump administration’s latest target in the battle over immigration in the US.
The FBI has taken over the investigation. The woman’s identity has not been publicly released, but she has been described as a middle-aged white woman
Police placed metal barriers between federal agents and the protesters. Protesters are said to have thrown snowballs at officers earlier on Wednesday
Armed police officers arriving at the scene on Wednesday
DHS is probing Somali communities in Minneapolis following an explosive report by conservative influencer Nick Shirley, who released a viral video alleging widespread fraud at Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota.
Shirley claimed the facilities were mostly empty despite receiving millions in government funds.
And earlier this week, DHS exploded on a Hilton hotel franchise, which canceled ICE agents’ reservations.
DHS accused the global chain of ‘siding with murderers and rapists’ as part of a ‘coordinated campaign’ against deportation enforcement in Minneapolis.
‘NO ROOM AT THE INN! Hilton Hotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement,’ the DHS X account wrote on Monday afternoon.
‘When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations.’
Hilton responded, telling Fox: ‘Hilton Hotels serve as welcoming places for all.’
Lakeville Hampton Inn has been ordered to remove all Hilton branding as of Tuesday after the head office learned a policy barring Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was still in effect.
Pictured: A man being retained by a federal agent on Wednesday
A federal agent runs towards protesters trying to block vehicles from leaving the scene after the shooting
‘The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this,’ a Hilton corporate spokesperson said on Tuesday.
But conservative influencer Nick Sorter shared a video of himself approaching hotel staff late on Monday night claiming to be a DHS employee seeking a room.
In the footage, the front desk worker told him the hotel was not allowing federal officers conducting immigration enforcement to book rooms.
The worker stated he was not aware of any changes to that policy, despite hotel management firm Everpeak Hospitality issuing a statement hours earlier vowing it was committed to ‘welcoming all guests.’
‘I just talked to the owner of the building, and he didn’t say there had been any changes,’ the employee said.